Automatic train-stopping system.



J. L. NEBLE.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOPPING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, 1913.

1&9 1,694; Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

Y 3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

57 I "e @2 N e /4' 4 f I 1 J. L. NEBLE.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOPPING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.14, 1913. 1,69 1,69%, Patented Mar.31,1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. L. NEBLE.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOPPING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, 1913.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

3 SHEETS-$HEET 3.

RII'IIL Wiimeooao To-all whom it may concern show electrical conducting devices.

,J'OHN L. NEBLE, OF OMA HA, NEBRASKA.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-STOPPING" SYSTEM.

toeesa.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 14, 1913. Serial no, 760,886,.

Patented Mar. 31,1914.

Be it known that I, JOHN L. NeBLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Train- 1. topping Systems, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a system for stopping trains which move on a single track, automatically, to prevent head on or rear end collisions, and consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and as illustrated in thedrawing, wherein,-

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing part of a railway track. Fig. 2 is a broken, front view illustrative of a train'provided with devices for generating, conducting and applying electricity for stopping a train, the track, electrical contact-strips and car frame being in section. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a diagram to illustrate the practical ,application of the system. Figs- 5, 6, '7," 8 and 9 are enlarged details of parts to clearly Figs. 5 and 6 are views of a contact-head or brushmember, respectively, in longitudinal and transverse section. Fig. 7 is a broken view showing the contact-strips in transverse sec,- tion and illustrating the use of cross wires and their insulation for each of the blocks, and a diagrammatic view of the wires. arranged for the electromagnet and electric generator. side and end views of a contact-head or brush member, and it may, be stated that,

while the brush-members for the 7 electric generator and electromagnet are constructed the same in all respects, the numerals shown in connection with Fig. 8 indicatefifor convenience, the electrical connection with the electromagnet, while the indicating numerals applied to Fig. 5 describe electrical connections with the electric generator.

Referring now to the drawing for a more particular description, the track shown in Fig. 1 may consist of suitable, separated sections or blocks of any desired length (a halfmile in length being practical), these blocks being indicated at 9, 9', 10, 10', 11, 11', 12, 12' and 13, and it will be understood that trains may move in either direction upon all of the blocks of this single track.

Figs. 8 and 9, respectively, are

4' and 70'.

Pivotally mounted upon the frame of a car, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, may be proconstruction further than the scope of the appended claim, it may be stated that each contact-head or brush-member preferably consists of metallic disks or rollers 18, 19, 20 and 21 suitably insulated and mounted upon the pivot-pin 22, said pin also being insulated and having ball-bearings in the arms 23 of yoke 27, and the yokes may be suitably secured to arms or levers 16; and it will be understood that the rollers or disks 18, 19, 20 and 21 of members 17 and 17 are adapted to make contact, respectively, with the series of conductors a, b, 0 and zi and with the series of conductors a, b, 0 and (Z', these being supported by any suitable facing 30 of non-conducting material disposed on the contact-strips 14.

At 24, carried by each train, is indicatedan electric generator, having a conductor 25 leading to disks or rollers 18 and20, and also provided with a conductor 26 in contact with disks 19 and 21, the medium of contact preferably being the metallic riders or plugs g removably mounted in the insulating shield or housing 27 of the rollers, said conductor 25 being formed with branches h and i, and conductor 26 having branches Carried by each train is an electromagnet 28. having a conductor 25 leading to disks 18 and 20 and provided with a conductor 26 in contact with disks 19 and 21 of brushmember 17, conductor 25 having branches h and i, and conductor 26 being provided .operate to communicate motion from this lever for applying the brakes, and to modify the driving force employed for moving a train and causing it to stop. The arrangement of the conductors and other devices on all trains to be controlled by the herein desite side of the track.

troduced toindicate a second train so that operation may be readily understood. v Operation will now be described showing that trains will be stopped automatically on the single track, if they approach each other and enter adjacent blocks, and this operation will be better understood by reference to Fig. 4, which isa diagrammatic view illustrative of the use of conductors a, b, c, and 0? upon strips 14: at one side of a track, in. connection with the generator, and the use of conductors a, b, c and d, in connection with the electromagnet at the oppo- To prevent a head on collision, it may vbe stated that if a train m is on block 11 and moving in the directicn indicated by its arrow in Fig. t, a train it coming upon' the 1 adjacent block in the direction indicated by its arrow will be stopped automatically, since conductors c and d of one of strips 14 provide electric communication from the generator 24 of train m to the electromagnet 28 of train n for causing the latter to stop, and train m will likewise be stopped upon entering block 10 for the reason that the generator of train a will then energize the electromagnet 28 of train in, the medium being the wires 0 and d. Also a rear end collision will be prevented for the reason that if a train p comes upon block '11 while train m is upon block 11 its electromagnet 28 will be operated by the generator of train m, the medium of communication being conductors a, 5 through cross-conductors e f, the'conductors a b and the conductors of the electromagnet of train 79, to cause the latter to stop. Also it will be seen that if two train are moving in the same direc-.

tion, the electrical connection as described will not interfere with the movements of either of the trains unless the rearward train enters a block adjacent to the block upon which'the forward train is located. I

' It will be seen that a train moving in one direction, as for instance train at will energize the conductors a, b, 0, (Z, and also I the conductors a and b in the block be hind it. A train moving in the other direction, as either of trains m or p, will ener- Letters Patent is menace gize the conductors at, b, c d as well as the conductors a, I), in the block behind it.

As described, the electromagnet and lever 29 provide actuating devices, which when operated may terminate the movement of the train on which they are disposed and these actuating devices upon two trains ooming upon blocks adjacent to each other will be operated automatically. Where trains approach each other, a head on collision will be prevented since both trains will stop if they come upon blocks adjacent to each other, and the system operates to advantage where one train follows another since they may continue to move in the same direction unless they are upon adjacent blocks; and in that instance, the forward train may continue to move, and the rear train will automatically be detained until the forward train leaves the block on which it is temporarily located.

What I claim and desire to secure by The herein described system for controlling the movements of trains on a single track, said system comprising a track ar-' pairs of conductors arranged as a second *SGIIGS for each block, one pair of conductors of the first serie belng connected to a corresponding pair in a rearward block, the other pair thereof being connected to a pair of conductors of the second series in a forward block, one pair of conductors of the second series being connected to a corresponding pair in a forward block, the other pair thereof being connectedto a pair of conductors of the first series of a rearward block; a train having a source of energy contacts connecting said source across each of the pairs of conductors of one of said series, and having a trainbontrolling magnet=and contacts connecting said magnet across each of the pairs of conductors of the other series. In testimony whereof I have aflix'ed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN L. NEBL-E.

Witnesses:

HIRAM A. STURGEB, ARTHUR H. S'runens'. 

